Great Blue Hill via Skyline Trail

Great Blue Hill via Skyline Trail is a 2.7 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Milton, Massachusetts that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, trail running, and nature trips and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Clifford D. D.

Agree very rocky. Must wear sturdy shoes with good grip. A great workout though I love the varied up and down. Great hike to keep in shape for summer hikes in the Whites. Love that it’s so close. I’m 59 and not an athlete by any stretch. You can do this.

very crowded on a Sunday morning! started off to the right-trail was good but harder than expected. lots of up and downs before getting to the top of great blue hill. advise going early on weekends. parking lot was completely full when leaving around 1pm.

Very enjoyable hike. If you are going with kids go clockwise. this makes the steeper inclines uphill.

Christina L.

hiking

8 months ago

This was my husband and my second hike this month and this trail was a fun challenge. We followed the path initially, but shortly after Eliot Tower, we mistakenly continued to follow the blue markers. The blue markers, after a certain point, does not follow the Great Blue Trail path. Instead, it takes you towards Canton and to a path that crosses the street.

This is a heavy traffic trail though and we saw many hikers with their dogs, dogs ranging from a lab to a corgi.

The views at the top of the hills and at the Eliot Tower are stunning!!!

There are a lot of hiking up and down large boulders/rocks. At times it was challenging, but doable for beginners hikers. The down did take a toll on our knees and ankles, but we are beginners.

TLDR: Go to this trail. Beautiful, green, remote, and appropriately related as moderate with some inclines/declines, passing from rocky trail to dirt.

Went on Sunday, 5/27 from about 2-4:38PM or so. We started on the side of the police station, up to Hancock Hill. Short 5 minute hike up and you get a beautiful viewpoint (see photos). A few minutes later to Hancock Hill where All Trails has the route split further to the west. We did this, but knew rain was scheduled for 4PM, so we stopped this side route with a couple hundred feet or so to go. Again, great views. As we continued we went down some other side trails exploring the lush forest, then back to the Great Blue Hill Trail.

Beautiful, thick forest throughout. Some fun crossings across logs. There’s a lot of downhill, so it seems like heading up on the Houghton Hill side would be much more difficult. Granted, there were some uphills for us. Wasn’t too crowded. Maybe saw 15 people total. No traffic noise, but heard or noticed one commercial jet.

AllTrails says 3.1 miles, though it’s close to 4.5-5.0. I didn’t monitor exact distance and writing this the day after, but apple health was about that when we finished. Of course we explored a bit off the GBH trail, but not enough to bump it by 1.5 more miles.

Moderate rating is appropriate due to the terrain and inclines. You will be walking over larger rocks, tree roots, etc. It’s not a smooth, flat, fire road like the Santa Monica Mountains. Was visiting family and wasn’t anticipating hiking, so didn’t bring proper boots or clothing. I’ve hiked for years in California in a pair of worn out Adidas so I had no problem in them on this hike. But, if I had my Salomon’s it would’ve been more comfortable and I would’ve taken more “risks” on some of the slicker, steeper inclined rocks. For inexperienced hikers, you will get tired and you should wear more appropriate shoes than sneakers.

Go hike, have fun, bring a bottle of water, and take your trash with you.

Hiked this trail in the wintertime following a snowfall and was not disappointed. Tough to believe you can find a serene landscape like this tucked inside the I-95 corridor! Great views and well-marked trails, with a few rocky/scrambling areas and several challenging inclines and descents. Good footwear is a must. Will hike the longer variation next!

Start on Skyline Trail South to the Elliot Tower and finish Skyline Trail North. All the views will be near the end of the hike, about 3/4 of the way through, which is way more rewarding. If you go counterclockwise, you'll see all the views at the beginning then nothing but trails for the majority of the way. Fun hike!

Melissa S.

hiking

Thursday, September 14, 2017

it was a beautiful veiw. it a must see.cant wait to see it in the fall

Best trail in the area in my opinion. Playful trek with a rolling accent to the tower. Lots of rocks to test stability and tree coverage for protection from wind and sun. Little creek crossing on the way down when there has been recent rain. Can be slippery and icy. 90 mins round trip if fit. Can take up to 3 hours for a novice. The inclines can be challenging for newbies so set expectations for those joining you.